DLA Architects appoints Matlock as president

DLA Architects, Ltd. in Itasca has promoted Carrie Matlock to president, succeeding retiring founder and president Bruce Dahlquist.

Matlock was hired at DLA (known then as Dahlquist and Lutzow Architects) in 1995 as an architect intern, but it wasn't long until she was promoted to the next level. By 1997, she was promoted to job captain and soon after to project manager. By 2007, she became the first woman partner and vice president at DLA.

She is LEED AP BD+C-credentialed, an Illinois School Code expert, NCARB Certified and is passionate about transforming buildings to help inspire learning.

Six years ago Matlock began a tradition for DLA. Each year, the team and a client attend Learning Environments for Tomorrow (LEFT), a program jointly designed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where they collaborate with educators and architects from around the world and ultimately learn more about the connection between the built environment and the educational delivery process. For DLA Architects, it's a chance to educate their clients on how innovative design can enhance learning.

DLA Architects' partners share the same vision for the firm. This March, when co-founder and CEO Dwain Lutzow announced that architect Ed Wright would be the firm's seventh partner he said, “It's been a year of transitions. What we pride ourselves on is mentoring for future leadership. We are constantly looking toward the future.”

“DLA Architects is built to self-sustain,” said Matlock.